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The Pirate Queen
The Pirate Queen is a stage musical based on the life of Pirate chieftain Gráinne O'Malley. Cast *Stephanie J. Block - Gráinne "Grace" O'Malley *Linda Balgord - Queen Elizabeth I *Hadley Fraser - Tiernan *Marcus Chait - Donal O'Flaherty *Jeff McCarthy - Dubhdara O'Malley *William Youmans - Sir Richard Bingham *Áine Uí Cheallaigh - Evleen *Brooke Elliott - Majella *Joseph Mahowald - Chieftain O'Flaherty *Steven Barath/Christopher Grey Misa - Eoin Plot Act I Edit The musical is set in 16th Century Ireland, a wild country ruled by feuding clans. Most clans are landed, but some, such as Clan O’Malley, are sea-farers. Because King Henry VIII of England decided to annex Ireland, Clan O’Malley begins to attack English treasure ships coming from China, India, and the West Indies in retribution. At the start of the musical, Clan O’Malley is christening a new ship. Grace (Gráinne) O’Malley, the eighteen-year-old daughter and only child of Dubhdara, Chieftain of the O’Malley clan, sneaks aboard the ship with Tiernan, a sailor and her childhood sweetheart. Tiernan, pursuing her in a game of hide-and-seek, finds her and they engage in a serious sword-fight, something which has turned Grace into a skilled fighter over the years. They are interrupted when the whole of Clan O’Malley arrives. Evleen, an old woman who is the spiritual voice of the Clan, gives Dubhdara a goblet of whiskey which he spills on the figurehead, naming the ship “The Pirate Queen.” Grace confesses to her father that she wants to be a sailor, but Dubhdara tells her it is impossible. A woman would disrupt the male crew, and there are superstitions that a woman on a ship brings bad luck. He orders Grace to leave the ship with the other women. Grace expresses her frustration to Tiernan. Instead of going ashore, Grace disguises herself as a cabin boy and stows away. The Pirate Queen is barely out to sea when a terrifying storm comes up. A spar breaks and the mainsail cannot be brought down. A young sailor is needed to climb the rigging and cut the sail free. Grace volunteers. The sailors cheer the boy’s bravery, but are shocked to learn her identity. Dubhdara is furious, but appreciates Grace’s heroism, so he allows her to join the ship's crew. Since her mother’s death, Grace has been Dubhdara’s only family. Though he loves her deeply, he realises that he barely knows the passionate woman she has grown up to be. Tiernan is overjoyed that the woman he loves will be allowed to stay on the ship. Although their relationship must be kept secret, they swear themselves to each other in a kind of marriage ceremony. The Pirate Queen plans to intercept and sack English treasure ships, but instead, in a deep fog, the ship is attacked by a huge English warship. In the ensuing battle, Dubhdara is wounded and Grace instinctively takes charge. Though outnumbered, they manage to defeat the English soldiers and sink the warship. Seeing what his daughter has done, Dubhdara decides to train her to be a sea captain like himself against all tradition. In 1558, Henry VIII’s successor, Mary Tudor, dies suddenly, and Elizabeth I ascends to the throne. Elizabeth knows that a young woman like herself will not be taken seriously as a monarch and so, on her first day as queen, she resolves never to let anyone see her as a female. She resolves to be “The Virgin Queen,” a monarch untouched by the taint of the flesh, and forbids her maidservants to gaze upon her unless she is clothed in her royal guise. Elizabeth summons her court, and shows her condescending ministers how forceful she intends to be as Queen. The only disruption in her Empire, her royal advisor Sir Richard Bingham tells her, is rebellion in Ireland, a land her father failed to conquer completely. Not only that, but the English fleet is beset by a ferocious female sea captain named Grace O’Malley. Elizabeth rescinds Bingham’s royal commission to Asia and instead names him Lord Governor of Ireland, with instructions to quell the Irish rebellion and kill Grace. Back in Ireland, the increased aggression from England forces the Irish clans to take drastic measures. Dubhdara summons the chieftain of his clan’s ancient rival, the Clan O’Flaherty, to a meeting in which he proposes that they work together. The O’Flaherty Chieftain is sceptical, and suggests that they arrange a marriage between Grace, and O’Flaherty’s son, Donal. When the marriage produces a son, the clans will be united. Grace is horrified, since she loves Tiernan, yet she knows the necessity for such a political act and agrees. The night before the wedding, at a shebeen (tavern), Donal is mocked by friends and barmaids about his impending marriage to a woman famous as a murdering pirate who gives orders to men. Donal vows that he will tame this Pirate Queen. The wedding is presided over by Evleen and the two clan leaders. Tiernan watches as the wedding party leaves to take Grace and Donal from the O’Malley home in Clew Bay to Rockfleet, the seat of the O’Flaherty clan. Tiernan is devastated, yet something tells him that this is not the end, and that Grace will need him one day. His love for her is so great that he decides to stay near her. Grace’s marriage to Donal, a drinker and a womaniser, proves to be difficult, particularly so when word comes that English troops have landed at Belclare, a town halfway between Rockfleet and Clew Bay. The O’Malley and O’Flaherty clans decide to attack the English from both sides. Grace wants to join the fight, but Donal tells her to stay behind with the other women. Grace is furious, but the women in town suddenly cry that the English army has landed. The landing at Belclare was a diversion, the real target was Grace herself. With the town is deserted except for “helpless females,” Grace mobilises the women. They pretend to be yokels and seduce the Bingham and his soldiers, killing them when they are most vulnerable. Grace spares only Bingham, telling him to return to England and tell his Queen that “he was bested by a woman.” Because of this victory, Grace becomes the acknowledged leader of the O’Flaherty women – something that disrupts Donal’s position in the clan. Simultaneously, Tiernan arrives with news that a skirmish with the English has left Dubhdara mortally wounded. Grace races off to Clew Bay, and Clan O’Flaherty goes with her. Donal expects that if Dubhdara dies, his marriage to Grace will make him the chieftain of both clans. Dubhdara, however, passes the chieftain’s ring and mantle to Grace, making her the first woman ever to become leader of a clan. Dubhdara dies, and the clan gives him a sailor’s funeral, in a flaming boat set out to sea. Grace, once again captain of The Pirate Queen, gives birth aboard ship. Donal waits, for a son will be heir to both clans, and thus give Donal power again. The Pirate Queen is once again attacked by the English. Grace overhears Donal plead to Tiernan that the Irish surrender. Grace, despite having just given birth, takes up a sword and joins the fight on deck. The Irish prevail, at considerable cost, but Grace can only think of Donal’s cowardice. According to Irish “Brehon Laws,” a marriage becomes permanent only after three years. Until then, either party may dismiss the other. Grace invokes this law and banishes Donal from her life. Once again, Grace and Tiernan are free to be together. In England, Elizabeth faces a complex dilemma. As Queen, her most important obligation is to take a consort and produce a child who will be her heir. Many ambitious men in England imagine themselves rising to power by marrying Elizabeth, especially Sir Richard Bingham, who suggests that the man who delivers Ireland into her hands will be the best candidate. Bingham is confident, for Donal O’Flaherty has decided to betray Grace and his countrymen in exchange for reattaining his power as clan leader. Donal arrives at the christening of his son Eoin like a penitent father, but the penitence is all pretence. Bingham and his English troops burst into the ceremony, killing many of the O’Malley clan and taking Grace prisoner. Donal and Tiernan engage in violent battle, during which Donal is killed. Tiernan takes the child to safety. Grace is imprisoned for seven years, during which time Bingham completes his conquest of Ireland. He brings the Irish Chieftains to England where they surrender their crowns to Elizabeth. Tiernan comes as well, to offer himself in exchange for Grace, so that she can return to her child. Elizabeth is shocked that a man loves Grace O’Malley so much that he would sacrifice his life for hers. In Elizabeth’s life, men only pursue her to fulfill their own ambitions. To everyone’s amazement, Elizabeth accepts Tiernan’s offer and releases Grace. Grace returns to find Ireland despoiled by Bingham’s marauding English troops. Reunited with her son and seeing the Ireland Eoin will now inherit, Grace decides to go to England and plead the case for Ireland before Elizabeth. The people of Clew Bay refurbish The Pirate Queen, and Grace sets sail. Elizabeth is enraged that Grace returned to England, but Grace appeals to Elizabeth not as a monarch but as a woman, urging the Queen not to ignore her nature but to use it to rule wisely. Elizabeth finds herself drawn to this female pirate she has hated for so long. The two women talk for two hours, in a historic private discussion whose precise content is unknown. At the end of this talk, Elizabeth restores to Grace O’Malley her lands and ships for her lifetime, and in addition, releases Tiernan from prison. Grace and Tiernan return to Ireland where they are reunited with Eoin. At last they marry, and the Irish people celebrate with a plea for Ireland to be once and forever at peace. Musical numbers ;Act I *"The Pirate Queen" – Dubhdara and Company *"Woman" – Grace *"The Storm" – Company *"My Grace" – Dubhdara and Grace *"Here on this Night" – Grace, Tiernan and Crew *"The First Battle" – Company *"The Waking of the Queen" – Elizabeth and Ladies-in-Waiting *"Rah-Rah, Tip-Top" – Bingham, Elizabeth and Lords *"The Choice is Mine" – Grace and Company *"The Bride's Song" – Grace, Evleen and Women *"Boys'll Be Boys" – Donal, Mates and Barmaids *"The Wedding" – Company *"I'll Be There" – Tiernan *"Boys'll Be Boys" (Reprise) – Donal, Grace and O'Flaherty *"Trouble at Rockfleet" – Grace, Tiernan, Donal and Bingham *"A Day Beyond Belclare" – Grace, Tiernan, Donal and Company *"Go Serve Your Queen" – Elizabeth and Bingham *"Dubhdara's Farewell" – Dubhdara and Grace *"Sail to the Stars" – Grace, Tiernan and Company ;Act II *"It's a Boy" – Grace, Majella and Sailors *"Enemy at Port Side" – Grace, Evleen, Majella and Sailors *"I Dismiss You" – Grace, Donal and Sailors *"If I Said I Love You" – Tiernan and Grace *"The Role of the Queen" – Elizabeth and Bingham *"Let a Father Stand by His Son" – Donal, Grace, Bingham and Company *"Surrender" – Bingham, Tiernan, Elizabeth and Company *"She Who Has All" – Elizabeth and Grace *"Lament" – Grace, Majella, Eoin and Company *"The Sea of Life" – Grace and Company *"Terra Marique Potens" – Elizabeth, Grace, Bingham *"Woman to Woman" – Elizabeth and Grace *"Behind the Screen" – Company *"Grace's Exit" – Elizabeth, Grace, Bingham and Company *"Finale" – Grace, Tiernan and Company Pirate Queen, The